A historical syndemic? The impact of synergistic epidemics of measles and scarlet fever on life expectancy in Victoria, Australia (1860s–1870s)

Objectives

To explore whether synergistic epidemics of measles and scarlet fever in 1860s–1870s Victoria, Australia could be characterized as syndemics, we apply the methods of Sawchuk, Tripp, and Samakaroon (Social Science & Medicine 2022, 295, 112956) to quantify the impact of each of the two major co-occurring epidemic events (1867, 1875) in terms of life expectancy (LE) changes. Sawchuk et al. posit the presence of a harvesting effect, indicated by a statistically significant increase in LE in the immediate post-epidemic “fallow period”, as a criterion for identification of a historical syndemic. We test an alternate hypothesis that the same methods can identify a short-term scarring effect.

Materials and Methods

Using annual age- and cause-specific death statistics and census population data, we constructed abridged period life tables for baseline period, potential syndemic year, and “fallow” year for each of the two periods (1860s and 1870s). We compared LE at birth using Z-tests. We decomposed age-cause-specific mortality according to Arriaga's method to identify age—and cause-specific contributions to LE change.

Results

LE was significantly lower than baseline (1864–1865) in 1867 but not in the “fallow” year (1869). LE in 1875 and the 1878 “fallow” year were both significantly below baseline (1871–1873). Age-cause-specific decomposition showed similar patterns for 1867 and 1875 for measles and scarlet fever combined effects.

Discussion

Evidence of a scarring effect following the 1875 measles/scarlet fever combined peak supports the interpretation of this event as a syndemic. We suggest the short-term scarring effect can be a useful additional criterion for identifying historical syndemics.